Soldiers Magazine: Focus on People - December 2002
"The Official Magazine of the U.S. Army"
Focus on People - 2LT Monroe Mann
by Steve Harding
MILITARY intelligence and the movie business may seem worlds apart, but for 2LT Monroe Mann they're different sides of the same coin.
A member of the New York Army National Guard and a recent graduate of the Intelligence Officer Basic Course at Fort Huachuca, Ariz., Mann is also a fledgling actor whose most recent film, Swimfan, was a major summer hit.
"Sure, acting and the Army might not seem like complimentary careers," Mann said, "but they're both equally important to me. One is an artistic outlet, and the other is a way I can give something back to the nation."
A native of Port Chester, NY, Mann acted in high school and briefly attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City. He went on to college in Switzerland, and after completing degrees in economics and French decided to pursue acting.
"I graduated from college in 1999, and headed back to New York," he said. "Things went well, but a few months into the process I started feeling funny about just being an actor, like something was missing. And then I saw Saving Private Ryan."
The powerful film about a group of soldiers on a hazardous World War II mission touched a nerve, Mann said, and after doing some research he decided that duty in the National Guard would allow him to both serve the nation and pursue his theatrical career.
He enlisted in 2000, and after basic training and OCS elected to become a military intelligence officer.
"Good intelligence is vital to any Army, and it's an area in which I think my academic background can really be of value," Mann said. "And intelligence work is interesting; there's always something going on."
The same can be said of Mann's civilian career. In addition to his work in front of the camera he has written a screenplay and two books: The Theatrical Juggernaut, a guide to the artistic and business aspects of acting as a profession, and To Benning and Back: The Making of a Citizen Soldier. And he has also put his business training to work, having founded Unstoppable Artists, a New York-based consulting firm that deals with both the artistic and business aspects of acting.
Despite his burgeoning show-business success, Mann said his military career is equally important.
"I love everything about acting, and I think entertaining people is a wonderful service to be able to provide," Mann said. "But I also feel that I need to give something back to my country, and being a soldier really answers that need."
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